During the time I have spent in NW Arkansas I sort of accidentally bumped into a guy named Doc Lewellen. He talked with me for a while and told me about the website called Adventure Rider.
Fast forward 12 years and I am now spending my second to last weekend in Arkansas at a dirt bike rally that the riders of NW Arkansas have put on for almost 15 years now. It's called S.L.A.P. which stand for Squeal Like A Pig. I have attended the 8 of these rallies with with the friends I have made in those 12 years. It is bittersweet for me.
To make this even harder, yesterday, I did something I swore I wouldn't ever do. I consigned my last motorcycle to be sold. My body is so broken, beat up and tired that each time I throw a leg over a bike I wonder if this will be my last ride.
Getting old it seems, is every bit as hard as my Dad told me it is. He said (paraphrased) "You end up giving up some of the things you love doing in return for doing the other things you love a little longer."
So, I've just returned from the Rally and I can tell you that I have never experienced worse stormy weather. Friday evening we had lighting for nearly two hours prior to torrential rainfall and quarter size hailed and one wind blast that ripped everyone's pop shelters from the ground and tossed them everywhere. The blast was so strong that my own 31,000# RV felt as if it was going to blow over.
Day two of the rally wasn't any better it rained for at least 6 hours. At 4:30 am were awakened by the staff of Byrds Adventure Center telling us to break camp immediately and get to high ground. The it took us just 20 minutes to get the RV ready to move, and pack up two pickup trucks with motorcycles and camping gear. I still had to drive the RV through 4' of water from the flooding Mullberry River.
I can tell you it was quite harrowing.
So, now our time in Arkansas comes to an end. We begin packing the RV Today.
Fast forward 12 years and I am now spending my second to last weekend in Arkansas at a dirt bike rally that the riders of NW Arkansas have put on for almost 15 years now. It's called S.L.A.P. which stand for Squeal Like A Pig. I have attended the 8 of these rallies with with the friends I have made in those 12 years. It is bittersweet for me.
To make this even harder, yesterday, I did something I swore I wouldn't ever do. I consigned my last motorcycle to be sold. My body is so broken, beat up and tired that each time I throw a leg over a bike I wonder if this will be my last ride.
Getting old it seems, is every bit as hard as my Dad told me it is. He said (paraphrased) "You end up giving up some of the things you love doing in return for doing the other things you love a little longer."
So, I've just returned from the Rally and I can tell you that I have never experienced worse stormy weather. Friday evening we had lighting for nearly two hours prior to torrential rainfall and quarter size hailed and one wind blast that ripped everyone's pop shelters from the ground and tossed them everywhere. The blast was so strong that my own 31,000# RV felt as if it was going to blow over.
Day two of the rally wasn't any better it rained for at least 6 hours. At 4:30 am were awakened by the staff of Byrds Adventure Center telling us to break camp immediately and get to high ground. The it took us just 20 minutes to get the RV ready to move, and pack up two pickup trucks with motorcycles and camping gear. I still had to drive the RV through 4' of water from the flooding Mullberry River.
I can tell you it was quite harrowing.
So, now our time in Arkansas comes to an end. We begin packing the RV Today.
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